Ovarian Cancer: Asking the Right Questions About Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer treatment options can be fairly complex. However, if you break it down to basics, you can focus the questions you will need to have answered in order to make good decisions. In general, you will need to know how far advanced the cancer, specifically what the stage and grade is, and what the plan is regarding surgery and chemotherapy.

The more you educate yourself about general issues in ovarian cancer, the easier it will be to discuss issues with your doctor and ask the right questions. Doctors know you didn’t go to medical school, but focused questions will alert your physician that you have spent time trying to learn something about your situation. This should spark better, more in-depth, discussions about your treatment options.

Rule #1: Don’t be shy.
Rule #2: There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Rule #3: Don’t use a generic Internet “question list.” Rather, think about what you have already learned and customize the questions to build upon what you already know or suspect.

Some general areas upon which to base your questions:

1. What kind of ovarian cancer do I have specifically?
2. Do I have early or advanced cancer and, if advanced, to what areas has it spread? Lymph nodes? Liver? Around the intestines? In the omentum?
3. Is my type of ovarian cancer really rare or not? This may help answer whether or not you need a second opinion, such as at an academic research center (perhaps a university).
4. What treatment options do I have, and which are considered the best options in my specific situation?
5. What support groups are available and where?
6. Where can I read and/or find out more about my ovarian cancer?

Most of the time, suspected or known ovarian cancer means that surgery is somewhere in the treatment plan. Here are some areas to ask questions about:

1. Am I in good enough medical shape to undergo surgery?
2. What type of surgery may be an option? If the suspicion is for early ovarian cancer, is minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery possible?
3. How long before I can go home, resume normal activities and go back to work?
4. What are the possible risks of surgery and what are the chances these things will actually happen?
5. Is there anything I need to do to prepare for surgery and are there foods, vitamins or medications that I should avoid?
6. Are there any patients who have had similar surgeries that I can speak with?

If chemotherapy is required, here are some of the questions you might consider asking:

1. If I need chemotherapy, what are the chances that I can get a cure based on what my stage is and how much cancer is still inside me?
2. Are you going to give the chemotherapy to me or do I go to another doctor? (gynecologic oncologist or a medical oncologist)
3. What are the reasons the chemotherapy is being recommended in my specific case? Basically, the “sub” questions are:
• Is it because there was visible cancer left behind after surgery that could not be removed?
• Is it because chemotherapy might kill any remaining microscopic cancer cells that may still be hiding somewhere?
• Is it because it might be better to get chemotherapy first and then consider surgery later because of my medical condition(s) or very advanced cancer?
4. Which chemotherapy drugs are being recommended and how are they going to be given to me? A handful of drugs fight ovarian cancer, but the usual first drugs are Taxol and Carboplatin. Are these the drugs that will be used first and are they going to be given to me by vein (intra-venous) or directly into the abdomen (intra-peritoneal)?
5. Is the treatment given in the office or will I have to be admitted to the hospital?
6. What are the side effects, the chances that they will occur and what can be done to prevent as much of them as possible?
7. Can I work during treatment?
8. What kinds of activities, foods and supplements should I avoid?
9. Should I consider any clinical trials though this is the first set of treatments?
10. Can I speak with other chemotherapy patients who have received the same or similar treatments?